Program of the Conference

Sunday, October 6th, 2013

16:00 Registration and Welcome in Ballroom, Heidelberg Congress House

Keynote Lectures

18:00 Allan Basbaum, University of California, San Francisco, USA: Transplant-mediated repair of spinal cord GABAergic circuitry to treat chronic pain

18:30-18:40 Discussion

18:40 Irene Tracey, FMRIB Centre, Oxford, UK: Why Image pain?

19:10-19:20 Discussion

19:30 Open-ended Conference Dinner in Merian Hall, Heidelberg Congress House

20:00 Debate and discussion on ‘Specificity versus Pattern’ theories of pain between Allan Basbaum and Irene Tracey. Proposed moderators: Robert Schmidt and Vania Apkarian in Merian Hall, Heidelberg Congress House

Monday, October 7th, 2013

09:00-10:30 Session 1: Structure, function and plasticity of peripheral circuits-I

Chair: Thomas Tolle, Department of Neurology, Technical University, Munich, Germany.

1. Jan Siemens, Heidelberg University, Germany: Modulating pain senstization-insights from TRPV1 proteomics

2. Martin Schmelz, Heidelberg University, Germany: The role of axonal hyperexcitability of primary nociceptors in pain states

3. Gary Lewin, Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine, Germany: The beginning of pain, the molecular physiology of sensory mechanotransduction

10:30-10:45 Discussion

10:45-11:15 Coffee break and Poster session

11:15-12:15 Session 2: Structure, function and plasticity of peripheral circuits-II

Chairs: Hermann Handwerker, Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, FAU, Erlangen, Germany.

1. Gerald F. Gebhart, University of Pittsburgh, USA: Peripheral circuit plasticity and visceral pain

2. Frank Birklein, University of Mainz, Germany: CRPS and the immune system

12:15-12:30 Discussion

12:30-14:00 Lunch and Poster session

14:00-15:00 Session 3: Spinal circuits and their remodelling in chronic pain states- I

Chairs: Irmgard Tegeder, Pharmazentrum, University of Frankfurt, Germany.

1. Ru-Rong Ji, Duke University School of Medicine, USA:
Sensitization and desensitization of spinal cord pain circuitry by immune and glial mediators.

2. Michael Salter, University of Toronto, Canada: Neuron-Glia signalling in pain neuroplasticity

15:00-15:15 Discussion

15:15-15:45 Coffee break and Poster session.

15:45-16:45 Session 4: Spinal circuits and their remodelling in chronic pain states-II

Chair: Siegfried Mense, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany.

1.  Hilmar Bading, Heidelberg University, Germany:
Nuclear calcium: Integrator of synapse-to-nucleus communication and regulator of pain associated gene expression.

2. Jürgen Sandkühler, Medical University Vienna, Austria: Synaptic mechanisms of hyperalgesia and analgesia.

16:45-17:00 Discussion

17:00 onwards Evening program for invitees and speakers.

Tuesday, October 8th, 2013

09:00-10:30 Session 5: Brain circuits I: Representation of pain in various cortical areas and its reorganisation in chronic pain states.

Chair: Wilfried Jänig, Institute of Physiology, Christian-Albrechts Univ., Kiel, Germany

1. Herta Flor, Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg Univ., Germany:
Brain circuits involved in phantom limb pain

2. Angela Sirigu, Institute of Cognitive Science, CNRS, France: Brain plasticity in upper limb amputees and after hand allograft

3. Frank Porreca, University of Arizona, USA:
Capturing and mechanistic investigations of affective dimensions of pain pre-clinically

10:30-10:45 Discussion

10:45-11:15 Coffee break and Poster session

11:15-12:45 Session 6: Brain circuits II: Activity rhythms and functional links between diverse brain areas

Chair: Ulf Baumgärtner, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany.

1. Vania Apkarian, North Western University, Chicago, USA:
Predictors of the transition to chronic pain

2. Giandomenico Iannetti, University College London, UK:
Novel approaches to capture nociceptive specific cortical activity in humans

3. Patrick Haggard, University College London, UK:
The contribution of body representation to pain perception.

12:45-13:00 Discussion

13:00-14:30 Lunch and poster session

14:30-15:30 Session 7: Brain circuits III: The role of the anterior cingulate cortex in mediating and modulating pain: dogmas and dilemmas.

Chair: Walter Zieglgänsberger, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.

1. Min Zhuo, University of Toronto, Canada:
Long-term plasticity of corticospinal descending facilitation in neuropathic pain

2. Thomas Kuner, Heidelberg University, Germany:
Contribution of structural neuronal plasticity in the anterior cingulated cortex to chronic pain.

15:30-15:45 Discussion

15:45-16:15 Coffee Break and Poster session

16:15-17:15 Session 8: Brain circuits IV: The role of the insular cortex in mediating and modulating pain: dogmas and dilemmas.

Chair: Manfred Zimmermann, Neuroscience and Pain Research Institute, Heidelberg, Germany

3. Rolf-Detlef Treede, Heidelberg University, Germany:
Nociceptive and multimodal regions in the operculoinsular cortex.

4. Rohini Kuner, Heidelberg University, Germany:
Dissection of cortical circuits mediating nociception and hypersensitivity.

17:15-17:30 Discussion

17:30 Outlook and end of the conference


Note: All the speakers’ talks and events are planned to take place in Ball Room, Heidelberg Congress House unless specified!